If there is one thing that the rest of the NFL learned from the Seattle Seahawks last year, it is the value of having a plan and sticking with it.

In rolling to a 13-3 record and a Super Bowl rout, the Seahawks perfected the art of stifling the pass. And even though the other 31 teams don't have as dominant a specialty (and in some cases, their specialty isn't all that special), they all thrive at something.

With that in mind, and with the season set to start on Thursday, here is a look inside all 32 NFL playbooks.

Arizona Cardinals

Few teams have more pass-rush threats. Their specialty relies on defensive lineman Calais Campbell lining up in front of a guard, typically on the right side. The rest of the defense will overload the side opposite Campbell—which ensures that the center will abandon Campbell, who is now one-on-one with a guard. That is a big mistake.

Atlanta Falcons

In Atlanta, Jacquizz Rodgers plays the most snaps at running back, barely touches the ball yet is productive while on the field. He is the starting decoy. Rodgers basically has one mission: Pretend he is going to pass-protect, "release" into the middle of the field, pretend to be a receiving threat and draw linebackers while the real receiver has free rein behind the whole ruse.

Baltimore Ravens

The threat of Joe Flacco's deep passing is overstated, but defenses still respect it enough for the Ravens to spread out four receivers, let the linebackers commit deep and then dish off to a running back just in front of the line of scrimmage. Their new play-action offense will exploit this.

Buffalo Bills

Defensive back Nickell Robey is playing a position that doesn't really have a name, but should. Late last season, he acted like he was going to blitz on nearly every play. Then, after spooking the quarterback, he would athletically spin back and cover the slot receiver admirably. And when he does use his speed to blitz? The quarterback goes down in a hurry.

Carolina Panthers

This defense is built through the middle, so the defensive tackles leave a nice gap for middle linebacker Luke Kuechly to patrol the middle of the field and stuff the run. Kuechly's dominance tends to force opposing coaches to change their blocking patterns. Once that happens? The Panthers dial up the outside pressure using their ends and pass rushers to exploit the holes created by the guards accounting for Kuechly.

Chicago Bears

The Bears like to stack one side of the field with their tall receivers, 6-foot-4 Brandon Marshall and 6-foot-3 Alshon Jeffery. If the defense is playing man-to-man, they both take off, hoping for a mismatch and a contested catch, which they'll use their height to win. If the defense shows zone, one will cross through the middle, use his long arms to create a big target and get a quick first down.

Cincinnati Bengals

Star wideout A.J. Green will line up just beside another receiver. Both will be to the left of quarterback Andy Dalton. Green and his colleague (usually Marvin Jones) will sprint as if they are running straight "go" routes, and Jones actually will. But about 20 yards downfield, Green—one of the best deep threats in the league—breaks character and cuts back toward the quarterback. The overcompensating cornerback will leave Green wide open.

Cleveland Browns

We don't yet know how they'll build an offense around rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel, once he gets off the bench. But we do know that he will run plenty of bootlegs and receivers will run lots of deep routes that can easily be improvised once Manziel decides to extend the play three to four seconds. If the preseason was any indication, there will be plenty of go routes and lots of on-the-fly creativity.

Dallas Cowboys

Most teams use the run to set up the pass. The Cowboys are at their best when they use the run to set up…a better run. After a few vanilla draw plays, the Cowboys set up an aggressive "zone" blocking scheme that features tackle Tyron Smith sealing off the outside defenders, then a guard going well upfield to maul whoever is in the way. Running back DeMarco Murray makes a few cuts to let the line work their magic, then he's off.

Denver Broncos

This may be the most effective play in football. Three receivers line up to Peyton Manning's left. Demaryius Thomas, who lines up a step behind the other two, collects a pass at the line of scrimmage from Manning and lets the other receivers clobber the waiting cornerbacks. Thomas then cuts back toward the middle of the field. If he can beat one safety, it's a touchdown.

Detroit Lions

Calvin Johnson's receptions on passes over 20 yards dipped to 10 last season, from 21 the year before. Quarterback Matthew Stafford's deep accuracy keeps falling. So new coach Jim Caldwell looks ready to pair new freak tight end Eric Ebron with Johnson in an effort to free up space for Johnson—and create a very athletic lineup.

Green Bay Packers

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers spreads out his receivers, but the real threat is when the defense spreads out too much. He'll quickly switch the play to Randall Cobb, playing in the slot, simply running into the middle of the field. Upon catching a quick strike, Cobb can exploit the open field that the defense left empty.

ENLARGE

Houston Texans rookie Jadeveon Clowney
Associated Press

Houston Texans

New defensive end Jadeveon Clowney's new role is genius: He stands up at the line of scrimmage and tries to pulverize the quarterback. OK, so it isn't revolutionary, but rumors of putting him on the same side as star defensive end J.J. Watt would spell doom for a quarterback. Watt could simply go through the guard while Clowney runs around the tackle. The other side of the line, desperate to stop the dominant side, would be wide open for a blitzer or two.

Indianapolis Colts

Quarterback Andrew Luck is the king of exploiting the middle of the field, at all depths. The Colts like to drag one receiver short over the middle, one to the outside as a distraction and one deep over the middle. Luck's signature move is to split the safeties by throwing a dart in the middle of the field. Receivers are likely to take big hits, but they are likely to get a first down, too.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Once this team's talent level rises, you'll see a Seahawks clone. That means: only defensive linemen trying to rush the quarterback; linebackers who are there to stop the run; big, physical cornerbacks and, above all, a ball-hawking safety to fill the gaps. But this year, it's baby steps.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs' defensive brilliance is pressuring the quarterback up the middle and disguising the ability to do so. Linebacker Derrick Johnson is among the best in the NFL at getting through the middle to hit the passer. But this defense is at its best when safety Eric Berry, who is so fast he can line up anywhere, starts 5 yards behind the defensive line. Berry effectively hides behind them, then bursts out and leaps at the quarterback.

Miami Dolphins

A new up-tempo offense is being created to save Ryan Tannehill, who was sacked more than any quarterback last season. But the new,
Chip Kelly
-inspired offense will put receiver Mike Wallace in a role to shine. On some plays, he will run straight go routes; on others, he'll get a pitch in the backfield, but whatever the method, he'll get the ball plenty.

Minnesota Vikings

Pass rusher Brian Robison lines up on the left side and uses his speed, and his shoulder-dipping technique, to get to the quarterback. But the real beauty is in the interior defensive linemen, who are instructed to do anything—ballet-style spin moves were often used last year—to free up Robinson.

New England Patriots

Tom Brady
had his deep-passing era, and his dual-tight-end phase. Now he is in his crossing-route days. His go-to play begins with receiver Julian Edelman lining up in the slot on the right. A tight end lined up on the opposite side (Rob Gronkowski, when healthy) will cross with Edelman in the middle of the field. The pair will "pick" off any traffic that gets in the way of an easy catch, and once one of the two emerges in the open field, Brady will throw a dart. The result is one of those two getting in a foot race with a linebacker. That means big yardage.

ENLARGE

New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham
Getty Images

New Orleans Saints

Nominal tight end Jimmy Graham has his biggest impact when there are three receivers lined up on a given side, usually the left. One of them, presumably, will draw a slow-footed safety or a linebacker, creating a mismatch. If it is one of the Saints' wideouts, expect a deep pass to the outside. If it's Graham? He'll run through the middle of the field, grab a jump ball 15 yards downfield and then keep on going.

New York Giants

Their defensive backs kept getting called for illegal contact in the preseason. Why? They signed one big cornerback in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and another physical one in Walter Thurmond. The objective is clear: Jump on the newest defensive trend in the NFL, which is deploying physical corners everywhere and letting the pass rush do the rest.

New York Jets

Geno Smith's deep throw was a pleasant surprise last year. He loves operating out of the shotgun with four receivers spread out. His specialty from there is hitting the 15- to 20-yard pass, typically on a comeback route, or sometimes throwing to a tight end who slipped behind the linebackers. New No. 1 receiver Eric Decker's ability to catch those 20-yarders on the right side will define the offense.

Oakland Raiders

Until Oakland gets more talent, fullback Marcel Reece will be a key cog. His versatility allows for deception in the backfield. He can block, sure, but he also can go out for a pass (watch the "in" routes he runs from the backfield) while the running back stays in to block, confusing the defense. He has played slot receiver, too. How many fullbacks can do that?

Philadelphia Eagles

Coach Chip Kelly loves to line up quarterback Nick Foles in shotgun with running back LeSean McCoy next to him and two receivers split out on the same side. With the defense spread out to account for the Eagles' spread, McCoy will simply run straight ahead through a massive hole in front of him. After some missed tackles, he will work his way back to the side of the two receivers, where he will have downfield blockers ready to help him get a huge gain.

ENLARGE

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger
Getty Images

Pittsburgh Steelers

Antonio Brown is one of the best outside threats in the league. His brilliance comes in his timing with quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger
.
Brown lines up on the outside, drawing the opposition's best cornerback. After Roethlisberger extends the play with his legs, Brown magically cuts on a "post" route toward the middle of the field as soon as Roethlisberger is ready to throw. It all seems so planned…because it usually is.

St. Louis Rams

The Rams love consistency. Chris Long always rushes the quarterback from the left; Robert Quinn comes from the right. Two linebackers plug the large holes they leave when they run upfield to the quarterback. The tweak this year is first-round pick Aaron Donald, a defensive tackle who can, you guessed it, rush the quarterback. The result will be pressure coming from three sides of the line—and an easier time for the aggressive Rams defensive backs, who love playing man-to-man.

San Diego Chargers

The Chargers are able to carve up man coverage by simply positioning tight end Antonio Gates out wide and having him run a crossing route over the middle, drawing a linebacker and maybe a safety. The receiver lined up on the same side as Gates will run a deeper route toward the middle of the field, and he'll have a one-on-one matchup deep.

ENLARGE

The San Francisco 49ers' Patrick Willis
Associated Press

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers' defensive line lines up directly over the opposing center and guards and is able to control all five offensive linemen with just three players. The two outside linebackers rush the quarterback, but linebacker Patrick Willis is the key: He lines up in the space between the nose guard and defensive end, a few yards back, and is so immovable that he forces all running backs toward the inside, where they will be gobbled up by another defender.

Seattle Seahawks

By now we know what the Seahawks do: Physical defensive backs force receivers to the outside, a four-man pass rush pressures the quarterback and safety Earl Thomas patrols the middle of the field, plugging all the holes created by the aggressive defense. But what is most impressive is when they actually blitz. The opposing offense, used to the four-man rush, can't handle it. Linebacker Bobby Wagner blitzed 51 times from the inside, according to Pro Football Focus, and sacked the quarterback an insane 10% of the time.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Led by defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, the Buccaneers are great at creating inside pressure, a rarity in the NFL. But their genius is in placing linebacker Mason Foster as a sort of center fielder who can do anything. He blitzes more than any other inside linebacker, but more often, he just backs up and swats or intercepts the rushed passes created by the defensive pressure. In coach Lovie Smith's new defense, Foster should blitz even more. Expect sacks and picks.

Tennessee Titans

When the Titans spent the 11th-overall pick this year on tackle Taylor Lewan, it was thought he was a replacement, but he may turn out to be an addition. The Titans have toyed with three-tackle packages in training camp, a supercharged "jumbo" package that features an athletic first-round pick as the sixth lineman. What better way to protect oft-injured quarterback Jake Locker?

Washington Redskins

The Redskins love crowding the middle of the field: They sometimes use two running backs and two tight ends. When quarterback Robert Griffin III takes the snap, he will run play action, then attack the "seam" routes up the middle. One tight end will run a straight route through the middle, while another teammate runs a short comeback route. Whichever one is ignored by a linebacker will get the ball.

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